XINHUA/Indonesia hopes to attract Chinese visitors to Bali

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The absence of a direct flight between China and the Indonesian famous resort island of Bali has hampered the government's effort to boost arrivals from China, an official said Monday.

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia serves routes to Chinese cities but has no direct flight between China and Bali as its planes have to make a stopover in Jakarta, said I Gede Nurjaya (rpt. I Gede Nurjaya), the head of the Bali provincial tourism office.

The ongoing visit by Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng to Bali is expected to become a turning point to boost arrivals from China, he was quoted by the national Antara news agency as saying.

Nurjaya said he got information that a Chinese airliner plans to serve a direct flight between Bali and Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province.

"Hopefully, direct Guangzhou-Bali flights will significantly increase the number of Chinese visitors to Bali," he said.